I'm looking into used but newer Sierras (2014-2015). It seems like they had a redesign in 2014 on the V8s that made them much more fuel efficient than prior years. Can anyone share some info on these? Anything to avoid? I'm looking at ones less than 25,000 miles and the SLT package. Thanks all!

I've driven and worked on both the Ford and GM trucks. Fords are pretty much trouble free except for throttle bodies. GM's not so much, A/C compressors blow up, vibrations like crazy including rear end issues, bad injectors, camshaft/lifter issues.

Just how they drive I would buy an F150 with either the Ecoboost or 5.0.

I'm not a mechanic like the guy above, but I just picked up a nice 2014 Sierra Z71 with only 26000 miles on it.

It rides like a heavy car. Very smooth, with lots of power.

After trade in, I only had to cover $13000, so I tossed in a full warranty.

I hope I don't have to use it, but glad I have it.

As for fuel efficiency, I'm averaging 17-20 around town, and greater than 25 on freeway's.

Don't buy into the flex-fuel gimmick.

Cheaper than standard unleaded, but less fuel efficient.

Did poorly in iihs crash tests. The only pickup that did well was the new F150.

2015 Sierra SLT Z71 Owner

5.3 gets good mileage and this is the only thing it does well.

Hate this truck! Constantly switches between V4/V8. Lagging POS. Transmission wanders, misses shift points, falls on its face on acceleration and vibrates like crazy above 70MPH. Oh and front end stays misaligned and it's a rattletrap! Yes it has been in for these issues (12K miles on the clock). Seems the service is as bad as the truck (or worse).

Never again ... EVER!

Not the responses I was hoping for. I just really like their appearance over the other pickups out there. I'll look into F150s as well and see where the research takes me.

Que?

"The redesigned 2014 Chevrolet Silverado crew cab pickup truck, and its corporate cousin, the 2014 GMC Sierra crew cab, have received the highest possible overall crash test rating of 5 stars from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)."

"These new crash-test ratings for the Silverado and Sierra are better than those earned by key competitors. For example, the best-selling Ford F-150 received a 4-star overall rating..."

I recently rented a 2016 from UHaul. GMC Sierra, had 3k miles on it. It was a decent truck, suspension was a little stiff so any bumps were transmitted to my ass. Good pickup, averaged about 16mpg. Went 85mph without hesitation and was smooth as long as the roads were good. Large bed, big enough to sit a 1969 Mopar B Body complete roof in plus extra room for a 727 transmission. Everything worked fine but I don't know specifically what engine was in it. 2wd.

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I spent the past two weeks truck shopping, and I ended up with a 2016 Sierra SLE I brought home on Friday night. Any questions let me know. The SLE is a lower trim than the SLT so mine might not have all the gizmos you want.

Don't know what you're talking about. Like the guy posted above, it actually got top marks on the crash tests. Maybe you're thinking about Dodge?

I'll wait til I have some miles on mine, but yours sounds like there might be something actually wrong with it. When mine does the cylinder deactivation (it tells you on the dashboard) it is 100% seamless and you can't feel it. It's only supposed to do it when you're coasting along or when you're on very little throttle. Are you comparing the transmission to an older truck with a 4-speed? It's a 6-speed, it's gonna shift more frequently.

Reading comprehension is fundamental.


http://www.iihs.org/iihs/news/desktopnews/tough-test-for-pickups-ford-f-150-nabs-lone-good-rating-for-small-overlap-protection

The link that you just posted says the Sierra/Silverado 1500 Double Cab only fell short in one category. It got Good or Acceptable in all the others. That's a far cry from "DID POORLY IN CRASH TESTS". The Dodge is at the bottom of the list in both the double cab and the crew cab versions... just like I posted.

Try actually reading the material you're referencing before you start with the sarcastic remarks, maybe?

Take your own advice.

The small overlap crash test is critical component of crash testing. (accounting for at least 25% of frontal crash deaths)  IIHS rolled out the test in Aug. 2012 so there has been plenty of time for automakers to update their vehicle to do well in that category of crash testing.

If you want to roll the dice with an inferior safety design, so be it.  But I wouldn't make that conclusion for everyone.  

Oldest one I have still in fleet that we run every day is an 06.  All of them have the 5.3 or the 4.8.  Have 17 1500's.  We have never had a single issue with any of them outside of regular maintenance.

The V4/V8 transition on my 2013 was very noticeable...previous owner had a SI/DO Flowmaster 10 series on it so you could hear it. I drove that truck like that for 6 months before I couldn't take it anymore and had a 50 series put on. I can still hear it but I don't notice it anymore. I disabled cylinder deactivation once but in the terrain I drive in, it really only kicks in when driving 55 or slower (most of my driving is done at 75).

You find good service departments and bad ones. I found a not so great one (Hiley GMC in Fort Worth) and never went back again. All there is to it.

After doing some research on the Fords, I think I'll be pursuing a GMC. One of my desires is heated leather seats and that just seems to cost too much in an F150. The Sierra SLT package is much more affordable for the options I'm looking at.

Shouldn't be difficult to find an existing model on some dealers lot that is equipped to you linking and is reasonably priced.

If you want a smooth ride, get the Ram with coil springs. Mine rides better than my wife's SUV and her previous car.

Fuck Chevy/GMC and their pos AFM lifters

Well, after coming from a 2014 Ford to  2015 GMC sierra, i'm going to be going back to Ford after this truck.  I'll you the heated/cooled seats are much better in the fords, comes up/down to temperature way quicker than whatever crap GM uses.

You have the reading part down, the comprehension part..............well.

OP asked about 2014 models, and your article indicates 2016 models.

Nice try.

Nice try on your part.

2014 and 2016 are part of the same model generation.

And it should be blatantly obvious that if the current model year vehicle didn't do well in crash testing, it is all but guaranteed that the older model year vehicles will not do well either. (possibly even worse)

What it really boils down to...everyone has a different experience. In my experience, all Ford automatic transmissions go at 100k miles (I've literally had every transmission I've had behind a 5.9 Dodge outlast every Ford transmission), they are all heavy for what they are, the diesels get the worst fuel mileage of the big 3 and they usually need shop time about twice as often as a GM truck. In my experience, GM leather seats go to shit quicker, electrical problems will drive you bat-shit insane (but they usually occur under warranty) but that's the only bad things I've really discovered with GM.

On a side note, the TxDOT district I used to live in performed a study of which trucks saw shop time more often. Of the 300 half ton pickups in the district, the 98-04 F150 7700's and 05-08 F150's saw the shop 3 times more often (on average) compared to the Chevrolets and the average mileage at decommission was 100k miles (then again, there were a lot more of these going around and sitting around than anything else). The 06 Chevrolets were retired around 160k on average and 06 Dodges ran for about 120k before retirement. Now those results are not the same over the state...it varies greatly by region. I think one of the reasons majority of West Texas farmers drive GM is because they seem to hold up a little better in that environment. However, go to East Texas and you tend to seem more Dodges than anything else while South, Central and North you tend to see more Fords.

Totally agree with this.

I had to spend $2,000 having the cam shaft and all lifters replaced in my 2008 Sierra.  The truck had less than 125,000 miles on it and I had maintained it better than any other vehicle I've ever owned.  This truck rarely was driven over 60 mph and never was abused or driven recklessly.  It was also 100% bone stock as it came from the factory.

This is the first vehicle I've owned that the internals of the engine had to be replaced.  I hate to say it after growing up a Chevy/GMC truck guy, but I'll never buy another one.

Ended up purchasing a 2016 Sierra 1500 Denali. Very happy with my decision. Thanks for the info folks.

So I was cheap and opted not to get the extended warranty for $2,000 for up to 100,000 miles. The more I play with the vehicle, the more I realize how capable it is and how many things can break. They did say I have 30 days to change my decision. It now seems obvious I should get it instead of taking chances. Any thoughts?

I think it really depends on how much you drive.

I've put 38k miles on the 2013 I bought in July (that's normal driving for me)...is it really worth the extra money versus just trading? That's the dilemma I usually run into.

I wouldn't.  You're investing 2k dollars on the relatively slim chance that something catastrophic might happen in a certain window between expiration of the factory warranty and expiration of the new warranty.  The factory warrants the drivetrain for 5 years/60k.

[Jump To Reply]Quoted:
So I was cheap and opted not to get the extended warranty for $2,000 for up to 100,000 miles. The more I play with the vehicle, the more I realize how capable it is and how many things can break. They did say I have 30 days to change my decision. It now seems obvious I should get it instead of taking chances. Any thoughts?


I wouldn't. You're investing 2k dollars on the relatively slim chance that something catastrophic might happen in a certain window between expiration of the factory warranty and expiration of the new warranty. The factory warrants the drivetrain for 5 years/60k.



one of my contractors trucks at 98000 had to have the heads replaced   not completly uncommon because of afm

at least that what i have been told

i would get warranty